The Pacer has been ranked the No. 1 newspaper by the Southeast Journalism Conference in its annual “Best of the South” competition, while WUTM 90.3 FM ranked third in the “Best College Radio Station” category of the competition.

Emory University in Atlanta hosted this year’s conference, which featured students, faculty and advisers from 22 public and private schools in the Southeast. The SEJC membership roster typically includes 35 or more schools that pay $50 annual dues.

The Pacer finished ahead of such large schools as Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, the University of Alabama, Emory and Mississippi State.

Contest entries may be submitted in 24 individual and school categories, and all schools, regardless of size, are judged together.

“This award was not earned overnight,” said Pacer Executive Editor Stephen Yeargin. “Three years ago in Pensacola, Fla. (2003), we took home a first-place award for the Web site (Pacer Online) and placed for Ad Design. Since that time, we have steadily increased our take in Troy, Ala. (2004), and Ruston, La. (2005), with multiple writing and design awards.”

“I am incredibly proud of The Pacer staff,” said Tomi Parrish, Pacer faculty adviser and instructor of Communications.

“My students strive every week to deliver a newspaper to the student body that represents life at UTM, both the bad news and the good news. This is their learning laboratory for real-world journalism, and I am just thrilled that their hours upon hours of hard work have been honored this way,” said Parrish, who also is the coordinator of Student Publications.

Representatives from the Associated Press judged the entries for Best College Newspaper, saying that The Pacer has “some of the best designed pages [one judge has] ever seen in either college or professional [newspapers].” Another said that the “editorials are well written and timely.”

In addition to the overall staff award, the newspaper brought home seven individual awards.

• Staff Photographer Matthew Maxey ranked third in Best Press Photographer. • Arts & Entertainment Editor Rachel Rogers ranked fourth in Best Arts & Entertainment Writer. • Senior Reporter Kevin Teets ranked third in Best Feature Writer. • News Editor Will York ranked sixth in Best Special Event Reporter/Editor and also ranked fifth in Best News Reporter/Editor. • Sports Editor Amy Eddings ranked seventh in Best Sports Writer. • Viewpoints Editor Elizabeth Watts ranked eighth in Best Opinion-Editorial Writer.

Another aspect of the SEJC’s annual event is the on-site competition, planned by the SEJC president-elect and judged by faculty and professionals from SEJC and the host school. Pacer staff members also brought home three on-site contest awards.

• Senior Reporter Kevin Teets and Entertainment Writer James Baker placed first in Public Relations Campaign. • Executive Editor Stephen Yeargin placed third in Page Design. • Sports Editor Amy Eddings placed third in Information Graphics.

WUTM 90.3 FM’s third- place finish came on its first entry in recent history to the SEJC competition.

“I thought it was a great testament to not only the radio station and the staff members, but also all the students who work there and to [faculty adviser Richard] Robinson and [technician] Harold Cochran, who take care of us behind the scenes,” WUTM Programming Director Jordan Tinkle said.

“I am very pleased and gratified that we were selcted as third in that competiion, especially given the fact that we were going up against larger universities with more resources and larger budgets,” said Robinson, who also is an instructor of Communications. “It is a testament to the staff that wants this station to be the best it can be.”

The Southeast Journalism Conference is hosted annually by a member school selected at the preceding year’s conference. Next year’s event will be held in Birmingham, Ala., and will be co-hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Samford University. For more information about the SEJC, visit http://www.sejc.org/.